Here's a fun event that I'll be speaking at on the 25th. Should be a lively discussion of what's possible (yet not happening) in terms of 21st Century spectrum licensure.

The End of Spectrum Scarcity:

Opportunistic Access to the Airwaves

As the FCC begins its year-long process to recommend a National Broadband Plan, one starting point is to unlock publicly-owned assets that can facilitate ubiquitous, affordable broadband access. Wireless spectrum remains the most cost-effective and rapid means to deliver broadband access to rural and unserved urban residents. But as mobile broadband use continues to increase exponentially, demand for spectrum will rapidly outpace availability under current spectrum management policies.

Public policy seems stymied by the myth that spectrum is scarce. In reality, only government permission to access the airwaves (licenses) is scarce – spectrum capacity itself is barely used in most locations and at most times. This underutilized spectrum represents enormous, untapped, public capacity for high-speed and pervasive broadband connectivity. It is vital to a national broadband plan to consider policies that will encourage more intensive and efficient use of the nation’s spectrum resources.

What combination of technologies and policy reforms can open the airwaves and enable an era of pervasive connectivity? Our panel includes technology and policy experts who believe dynamic, opportunistic access to underutilized spectrum – especially federal government bands – is feasible if we can only muster the political will. One promising mechanism for making substantial new allocations of spectrum available for wireless broadband deployments and other innovation is to leverage the TV Bands Database that will be certified by the FCC for unlicensed access to vacant TV channels. Several papers describing this and other ideas to achieve more shared, dynamic spectrum access will be released at this event.

Start: 06/25/2009 - 12:15pm
End: 06/25/2009 - 1:45pm

New America Foundation
1899 L Street NW, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
United States
See map: Google Maps

Participants

Kevin Werbach
Assistant Professor of Law, the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Co-lead on the Obama Administration's FCC Transition review

Preston Marshall
Director, Information Sciences Institute,
Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California
Former Program Manager, DARPA
Next Generation Communications

Michael Marcus
Principal, Marcus Consulting

Tom Stroup
CEO, Shared Spectrum Company

Sascha Meinrath
Director, Open Technology Initiative, New America Foundation

Michael Calabrese
Vice President and Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation

Yesterday's FCC decision to open up unused TV channels to unlicensed wireless devices has generated a frenzy of activity among tech-savvy reporters. Wired interviewed me for their article today -- which hits the nail on the head, but doesn't yet focus attention on the fundamental technological shift that opportunistic spectrum access makes possible. I was hoping that Wired would be a good venue for a big picture visioning of a future where these technologies are normative -- here's what we ended up with...

[Originally posted at: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/11/fccs-decision-t.html]

The Federal Communications Commission's decision to open up the 'white spaces' spectrum to unlicensed devices could usher in a new telecom revolution, say analysts.

Like Wi-Fi, the availability of free, unregulated spectrum could create new technologies and new markets, bringing superfast wireless connectivity to the masses. Unlike Wi-Fi, it could also put pressure on wireless carriers.

"All the PR spin and FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) failed in the face of physics and the ground reality of engineering," says Sascha Meinrath, research director of the wireless future program at the New America Foundation, a non-partisan public policy think-tank.

"Opening up white spaces will lower the cost of communications by facilitating new technology, software and devices is an enormous win for public interest," he says.

AT A GLANCE:
White Spaces Winners

Intel: The company's chips could power many of the new devices on the white spaces spectrum.

Google: New services from Google could be offered on the new spectrum. Google could even end up becoming a broadband service provider, perhaps as part of a consortium.

Motorola/Philips/Dell: They are likely to create the hardware and the devices to access the broadband services on white spaces.

Consumers: More innovative products, more wireless choices, and higher wireless data speeds. Also, the use of white spaces could finally usher in the era of seamless roaming across technologies.

White Spaces Losers

Verizon/AT&T/Comcast: These companies have paid billions over the years to gain exclusive rights to the spectrum. Now they will have to fight new entrants who have no legacy costs to worry about.

Professional Audio Equipment Manufacturers: These companies, which have so far operated in the white spaces, will have to spend more to create equipment that will work in different areas of the spectrum. They will also have to spend more on testing their devices to avoid interference.

'White spaces' refers to the unused bits of spectrum between UHF television channels, which will no longer be needed when the U.S. abandons analog television broadcasting and goes all-digital in February, 2009.

But just how to use that spectrum was a hotly-contested battle that pitted technology companies against broadcasters and wireless audio equipment manufacturers.

Wireless microphones and other equipment used by broadcasters and event producers already use some of this spectrum, so those groups resisted the idea of letting unlicensed devices onto their airwaves, willy-nilly.

The FCC's latest decision means technology companies such as Google, Intel Motorola, Phillips and Dell -- which lobbied to "free the spectrum" so they could build data services on it -- will emerge as big winners.

Telecom carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and Comcast will feel the pain and be forced to adapt to a new reality, say analysts.

Verizon and AT&T have paid billions over the last few years for exclusive of chunks of spectrum. Also, Sprint and Clearwire are creating a Wi-Max network that could also be threatened by white spaces-based broadband.

White space frequencies are unlicensed, which means any company can use the spectrum. By contrast, wireless carriers have exclusive, licensed access to the frequencies that their phones use.

"White spaces could be a friend or foe of existing carriers," says Paul Gallant, an analyst with research firm wealth management firm The Stanford Group. "It might end up enabling carriers to enhance their retail offerings or it could be used in completely new ways to undercut the existing business models."

Sprint declined to comment.

White spaces have been coveted by technology companies for their potential. The spectrum will allow wireless signals to travel 2-3 times farther than Wi-Fi signals can today, including through obstacles.

Allowing for unlicensed use of white spaces means consumers will see a new generation of wireless broadband devices, said Craig Mundie, chief strategy officer for Microsoft, in a letter to members of the House of Representatives a few days ago.

It will enable low wireless broadband service in rural areas, self-forming mesh networks capable of routing traffic at speeds of 20 megabits per second and above within the mesh; and wireless distribution of content throughout the home and among devices, said Mundie.

That's exactly what consumers need today, agrees Meinrath. "All those problems of diversity on the airwaves and access to internet broadband connectivity are predicated on the artificial scarcity of airwaves," he says. "They will be alleviated."

The future of communications is in seamless roaming across not just networks but also technologies such as wireline broadband, Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

"The devices of the future will allow you to completely un-tether yourself," says Meinrath.

Already Google has applied for a patent that would allow the company to create such a device.

Chip companies such as Intel are also likely to profit from opening up of white spaces. Intel could potentially develop chips that can ride over white spaces, much like the Wi-Fi and WiMax-enabled chips it produces today.

The move could also mean that companies such as Motorola, Phillips and Dell could create new mobile devices that could become alternatives to smartphones or companions to notebooks.

For telecom service providers, it will be the beginning of a new world. Broadband connectivity over white spaces could change the telecom landscape much like Wi-Fi did a few years ago.

Existing service providers will have to evolve fast or find themselves sinking as newer players, probably a consortium led by Google, enter the market.

"The key question is, who is going to pick up the ball and run with it?" says Gallant.

Meanwhile Cablevision is building out a mobile broadband service in New York using unlicensed spectrum that's not white space, says Gallant. If Cablevision's experiment succeeds Comcast, Verizon and other service providers could end up embracing white spaces.

As for Verizon's $4.7 billion winning bid earlier this year for the 700
MHZ spectrum, it won't be an investment they are likely to regret.

"Verizon knew exactly what they were getting with that spectrum," says Gallant. "White spaces is just the opposite. It is very risky and may be hard to create a business model that will be truly successful on it."

Yesterday will go down in history as a bellwether moment. Few among us will soon forget the excitement of Obama's election. But there was an equally historic vote yesterday that for geeks, policy analysts, and technologists represents an entirely new trajectory in telecommunications. In essence, the FCC has begun the transition from command-and-control, single-user spectrum licensure to a more distributed system that holds the potential to eliminate the artificial scarcity that prevented widespread access to the public airwaves since 1927.

Yesterday, the FCC ruled that unlicensed white space devices would be allowed to operate on unused television channels -- allowing an entirely new generation of technological innovation to begin. While the official order has not been release, here's the information that's been gleaned thus far (please note that this is tentative information and until the official Report and Order is issued by the FCC, while unlikely, is subject to change):

• Both fixed and personal portable devices will be allowed. So look for base stations on cell towers as well as next generation PDAs and multi-media devices.
• Personal portable devices will be allowed to operate at power levels up to 40mW.
• On non-adjacent channels (i.e., where you have three unoccupied TV channels in a row, this would be the middle channel), higher power levels will be allowed (up to 100mW -- though I've also heard that up to 4-5W may be possible).
• Unlicensed wireless microphones will not receive priority status except, potentially, on channels 2-4. On all other channels (through to channel 51), all devices will share secondary status to primary broadcasters (e.g., television stations and licensed microphones).
• A geolocational database will back up spectrum sensing capabilities to ensure WSDs do not operate in restricted areas. Left unclear is whether licensed wireless microphone users will be allowed to exempt their venue from WSD use and whether this would also allow for unlicensed wireless microphone users to do likewise.
• A Notice of Inquiry will be launched by the FCC to investigate higher-powered use as an additional service in areas with few digital TV stations. This would facilitate backhaul capabilities for WISPs and other service providers.

I first started working on this proceeding back in 2004. After years of work, and an ever-increasing amount of time and energy spent on this battle, I can honestly say that I'm amazed by how successful this work has proven. At the same time, much like the presidential election, this win provides only the opportunity for amazing new innovations and services and much work remains. We need to work with performing arts groups to ensure that they have access to the technologies they need to carry out their work. And we need to work with wireless ISPs and allied organizations to ensure that they have the resources they need to continue spreading connectivity to underserved communities across the country. Finally, though the foundation has been set, the most important battle is yet to come -- opening up all underutilized bands for opportunistic spectrum reuse.

I expect a multi-pronged approach to what lies ahead. I've already begun talks with WISP allies to follow up on the FCC's announced NOI. Likewise, I'm hopeful that folks I've been talking with for months within the performing arts community will see the FCC's decision as a good reason to collaborate on future joint efforts. In the interim, I am working with my colleague, Victor Pickard, on opening up debate on opportunistic spectrum reuse -- starting with government spectrum. Our revamped working paper should be out in the near future, laying out a policy agenda for what needs to be done at the down of the age of opportunistic spectrum reuse.

Here's the FCC's press release as well as Commissionerss statements:

11/4/08

FCC Adopts Rules For Unlicensed Use of Television White Spaces.
News Release: Word | Acrobat
Martin Statement: Word | Acrobat
Copps Statement: Word | Acrobat
Adelstein Statement: Word | Acrobat
Tate Statement: Word | Acrobat
McDowell Statement: Word | Acrobat

I'm here in sunny California for the "Pervasive Connectivity: Open Airwaves, Open Networks" event that the New America Foundation is hosting at the Googleplex. We have a packed room and are just getting warmed up. I expect lots of useful knowledge from the luminaries we have speaking here today -- here's the agenda:

Agenda

9:30 am - Registration

10:00 am - Welcome

10:15 am - Open Airwaves: Technologies & Policies for Opportunistic Spectrum Sharing

• Michael Calabrese
  Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation
• Paul Kolodzy
  Kolodzy Consulting, Former Chair, FCC Spectrum Policy Task Force
• Mark McHenry
  CEO and Founder, Shared Spectrum Co.

11:00 am - Open Networks: Technologies & Policies for Consumer Choice and Innovation

• Tim Wu
  Professor, Columbia Law School & Chairman, Free Press
• Larry Alder
  Google
• Sascha Meinrath
  Research Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation

11:45 am - Community Networking: Digital Inclusion, Unwired

• Rey Ramsey
  CEO & Co-Founder, One Economy Corp
• Mark Ansboury
  SVP & Chief Technology Officer, OneCommunity
• Sascha Meinrath
  Research Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation

12:30 pm - Closing Remarks: Implications for 2009 Policy Agenda

12:45 pm - Lunch & Tech Demo in No Name Café

[UPDATE01]: Below are copies of the two presentations I gave today.

Here's a quick 3.5-minute video explaining the airwaves and the current battle over White Space Devices. It was pulled together by Joshua Breitbart and the folks at People's Production House over in New York City. Currently, NYC community organizers have their hands full dealing with the upcoming NYC Council resolution against white space devices (apparently, the City Council has decided that opera for the elite is more important than broadband for the masses).

The video is a great synopsis for non-geeks and folks who are just getting their feet wet in this area. Definitely worth some attention and promotion:

Nate Anderson over at Ars Technica wrote an in-depth analysis of the current white space debates. It's well worth a read.

White spaces, angry faces: Inside the battle over 'interference'

By Nate Anderson |
Published: September 23, 2008 - 11:30PM CT

High stakes

Every city in the country—even New York City—has a host of unused TV channels. Opening up that fertile field of spectrum to the seeds of innovation is a worthy-sounding goal that everyone can agree to in principle, but when it comes down to making the rules that govern access, and to certifying the devices that can operate, the debate hops on the express train to Nastytown.

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Video from the panel I moderated at the 2008 National Conference for Media Reform, "Spectrum 2.0: Using Public Airwaves to Build the Future of the Internet" is now up online. The panelists, Wally Bowen, Christopher Mitchell, Maura Corbett, and Geoffrey Blackwell, were amazing -- providing loads of useful information and personal inspiration. Here's the full 90-minute video:

You can also get more info on the panel and panelists here.

The Washington Post just ran an article about Shared Spectrum, a company that's been developing white space devices for many years for DARPA. I've been following Shared Spectrum's work for awhile now -- the most interesting element about it is that they're already doing what the National Association of Broadcasters says isn't possible. Here's more from the Post:

An engineer, Mark A. McHenry litters his speech with dizzying terms like gigahertz and cognitive radio. But on one topic in the national news he is plain-spoken: the claim by the broadcast networks, the NBCs and CBSs of the world, that a new technology to provide Internet service over the air will interfere with TV viewing.

"They're wrong," says McHenry, the chief executive of Shared Spectrum, a Vienna technology company.

The Federal Communications Commission is weighing a proposal that would allow companies to share airwaves. McHenry said his eight-year-old, 30-person firm has already received $30 million from the Defense Department to develop the concept. The broadcasters' position is "not what the DoD thinks," McHenry said. "It works in the harshest environments."

My colleague, Benn Kobb, sent me a fascinating article from 1991 where the National Association of Broadcasters is engaging is a massive misinformation and lobbying campaign against (I kid you not), data communications via cellular telephone networks. That's right, NAB fought to prevent technologies like Blackberries and iPhones from ever being allowed.

Today, the NAB is at it again -- this time targeting white space devices. But the notion is exactly the same -- any new wireless technology, no matter how useful to consumers or innocuous, will be fought against if NAB sees it as somehow against their own self-interests. In fact, as their own record illustrates (and being anti-smart phone is only the tip of the iceberg, NAB has systematically fought against innovations in the field of communications for decades.

But read on, this will certainly resonate with anyone who's ever sent a text message:

From: www.findarticles.com.

Mobile Phone News
Dec. 19, 1991
Copyright 1991 Access Intelligence LLC

NAB protests cellular operators offering information services

On the heels of PacTel's announcement to offer Star Info, a new service that provides up-to-date information ranging from traffic reports to financial news, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has petitioned the FCC to prohibit the cellular phone industry from offering pay-to-use radio services such as news, sports and weather. The NAB said that information services over cellular would duplicate the same news provided free to radio listeners by broadcasters.

"There is already a glut of sources for this information in the broadcast marketplace," said NAB in comments to the FCC. Offering such services over cellular frequencies would jeopardize cellular companies' system capacity and inhibit the operator's ability to handle conventional telephone calls, it added.

There is a growing business for private companies to offer niche programming services to cellular operators. NAB has no objections to cellular operators who want to buy programming and to provide information services, said Doug Wills of the NAB. "We do object, however, to the cellular operators out bidding the broadcasters for sports rights and then becoming barbarian gate keepers to programming," Wills added.

The NAB said that the cellular operators are misusing their spectrum. "Cellular spectrum should be reserved for the two-way communication for which it is designed," said the NAB. "One-way transmission of news, sports, weather and traffic would be a misuse of this spectrum and a needless duplication of broadcast services."

... PacTel's Star Info Is a Breakthrough for Cellular Customers

In November, PacTel Cellular initiated the Star Info which allows subscribers one-number dialing to access information. At no additional charge, subscribers will have access to 280 local businesses and services. Somewhat like a cellular yellow pages service, Star Info includes direct lines to restaurants, stock updates, sports scores, ticket offices for Plays, movies and special events.

The information program is provided by Applied Response Systems (ARS), a private company that specializes in information services. "The Star Info service provides excellent advertising and marketing opportunities for local businesses," said Ron Lee, owner of ARS. "They can effectively reach a very specific target audience to sell their product," he added.

It's rare that the New York Times and Wall Street Journal agree so wholeheartedly on things, but this past week has seen both issue calls for wireless innovation across the United States. The New York Times issued a pro-municipal wireless editorial that, among other things, states:

Broadband service is no longer a luxury. It has become a basic part of the infrastructure of education and democracy. EarthLink should fulfill the commitments it made. Even in these tough economic times, cities should keep pushing municipal Wi-Fi and looking for partners and plans that can make it a reality.

Lee Gomes from the Wall Street Journal issued a pro-White Space Device column that focuses on the successes and potential uses of these new technologies:

The white-space proposal has been in the news in recent weeks because of its strong backing by Microsoft and Google, among others. White space, they say, could help create a "Wi-Fi on steroids," with faster connection speeds running over longer distances than are possible now in the hot spots common in homes and coffee shops. As for interference with TV broadcasts -- or with wireless microphones, which use this same spectrum -- that can be easily handled. Before transmitting any data, a white-space networking device would "listen" to detect if a frequency is in use. A version of this "smart sensing" is already widely and successfully deployed by the U.S. military.

Here are the full stories:

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